A collaboration between academia and industry partners is looking to develop ‘future industry leaders’ in fintech.
The Fintech Corridor, a group connecting fintechs from Dublin to Belfast, has welcomed Ulster University on board as a corporate partner.
It will join other universities across the island of Ireland in The Fintech Academy, an industry-academic initiative designed to boost fintech skills and create a talent pool that can be developed further through placements, internships and apprenticeships.
The Fintech Corridor’s public and industry partners are also working with Dublin City University, Dundalk IT and Queen’s University Belfast in a bid to create a skilled workforce and shape the future of fintech in the region.
The cross-border group has more than 60 members and partners. Its public body partners are IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, InterTrade Ireland, Louth Economic Forum, Louth County Council and Invest NI, and companies in its ecosystem include PayPal, Payhere, AWS and AIB.
Commenting on the new corporate partnership with Ulster University, The Fintech Corridor chair Simon Bailie said it would “be pivotal in driving development, facilitating collaboration and adding value to the concentration of fintech companies along the Dublin to Belfast region”.
“We are excited to be deepening our links with Ulster University, already an active member of The Fintech Corridor, and thrilled to be further connecting with future industry leaders and helping them to reach their full potential.”
Under the partnership, The Fintech Corridor members will support Ulster University in new course development, providing industry reviews and feedback on course outlines and learning outcomes, with the aim of aiding the development of a skilled workforce.
The region’s fintech companies will then be able to access the university’s graduate pool, providing work experience and internship opportunities.
Prof Mark Durkin, executive dean of Ulster University Business School, said the university is “committed to its role in the flourishing fintech sector and looks forward to bringing its research leadership, innovation and skilled graduate pipeline” to the companies in the region.
Ulster University recently launched a BSc degree in financial technology, which Durkin said was “the first of its kind in the UK”.
“Fintech is characterised by resilience, adaptability and innovation and so the disruptive months of the pandemic only served to sharpen the focus on the power of fintech for both business and consumers,” he added.
“As a regional university, being a partner in this strategic framework will foster further collaboration within the finance and technology sectors and – through Fintech NI – enable all those companies in Northern Ireland who share the vision for this sector to be part of an exciting and timely growth agenda.”
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